Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dominates the 2016 presidential field, winning the
support of 61 percent of Democrats and holding double-digit leads over leading Republican
contenders, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.

Among Democrats, Clinton tops Vice President Joseph Biden 61 - 11 percent, with 7
percent for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and 2 percent for New York Gov.
Andrew Cuomo. No other candidate tops 1 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-
ack) University poll finds.

The Republican field is more mixed, with 17 percent for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of
Kentucky, 13 percent for New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie, 12 percent for U.S. Sen. Marco
Rubio of Florida, 11 percent for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and 10 percent each for U.S. Sen.
Ted Cruz of Texas and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

In womano-a-mano matchups, Clinton tops leading Republicans:

49 - 36 percent over Christie;

53 - 36 percent over Paul;

54 - 31 percent over Cruz.

"As she watches the hand-to-hand political combat in Washington, former Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton remains above the fray and the queen of the 2016 mountain," said Peter A.
Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Recent rumblings about a Vice President Joseph Biden candidacy aside, she is six times
better among democrats than is he and in head-to-head matchups with Republicans she
dominates. We've got a long way to 2016, but at this point she looks very very strong."

"The race for the GOP nomination remains wide open with a handful of candidates
bunched together in low double-digits," Brown added. "Sen. Ted Cruz' high-profile role
opposing Obamacare has added him to that group, but he probably will have to find other ways
to keep his star rising.

"Over the last several months, Sen. Marco Rubio's star has fallen a bit and Sen. Rand
Paul's has risen a bit, while Gov. Jeb Bush, Gov. Christopher Christie and Congressman Paul
Ryan have essentially been flickering in place."
Gun Control

American voters support background checks for all gun-buyers 89 - 9 percent, basically
unchanged from the results of several Quinnipiac University polls conducted in the months after
the Sandy Hook massacre. Voters in households where there is a gun support background
checks 88 - 11 percent, with no group falling below 80 percent on this measure.

But voters say 61 - 32 percent that stricter gun laws would not have prevented the
Washington Navy Yard massacre last month.

Voters support 66 - 23 percent, including 52 - 35 percent in gun households, Starbucks'
request that customers not bring guns into their stores. Starbucks' request makes them more
likely to sip there, 15 percent say, while 11 percent say less likely and 72 percent say it won't
make a difference in where they get their coffee.

"Americans somewhat favor more gun control but more than three in five say stricter gun
control would not have stopped the Washington Navy Yard shooter," Brown said.

"Two-thirds of voters prefer their Starbucks coffee without a shot as they back the coffee-
seller's plea to keep guns out of the store."

From September 23 - 29, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,497 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Ohio,
Colorado, Virginia and the nation as a public service and for research.

For more information, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

2a. (If Republican or Republican Leaner) If the Republican primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz, for whom would you vote?

TREND: (If Republican or Republican Leaner) If the Republican primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were: Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, for whom would you vote?

2b. (If Democrat or Democratic Leaner) If the Democratic primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner and Martin O'Malley, for whom would you vote?

TREND: (If Democrat or Democratic Leaner) If the Democratic primary for President were being held today, and the candidates were: Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner and Martin O'Malley, for whom would you vote?